Bonner County
Population 54,420 (2025) 1,733 sq mi
Large wildfires have burned 29,518 acres of Bonner County since 1984, 35th most of 44 counties in Idaho; the largest was the Cougar Fire in 2018.
Hazard fingerprint Each spoke is this county’s percentile among U.S. counties where that hazard occurs. How it is computed
- Tornado damage paths since 19504
- Wildfire burn scars since 198413
At a glance
The record for Bonner County in eight numbers. Each links to its section below.
Tornadoes
About one every 19 years since 1950, none rated F3/EF3 or stronger.
Strongest
April 9, 1991
F2, 1.0 mile path
100 yards wide.
Most recent
Friday, June 25, 2004
F0, 4.0 mile path
22 years ago.
Every recorded tornado
| Jun 25, 2004 | F0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 |
| May 29, 1994 | F1 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr 9, 1991 | F2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug 19, 1978 | F1 | 1.9 | 1 | 0 |
- Injuries and deaths are for the tornado’s whole path, which may extend beyond the county. Deaths recorded within Bonner County: 0.
- Weak tornadoes were under-recorded before Doppler radar coverage became national in the early 1990s, so earlier decades read low. Ratings use the Fujita scale before February 2007 and the Enhanced Fujita scale after.
Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, 1950 to 2025.
Hurricanes and tropical storms
No tropical storm or hurricane has tracked within 100 miles since records began in 1851.
Wildfire and smoke
29,518 acres burned in 13 large fires since 1984, equal to 2.7% of the land.
Largest
July 28, 2018
Cougar Fire, 8,705 acres
8,708 acres inside Bonner County.
Most recent
July 10, 2021
Trestle Creek Complex
7,285 acres in total.
Every large fire
| Trestle Creek Complex | 2021 | 7,289 | 7,285 |
| Burnt Peak | 2021 | 174 | 4,198 |
| Callahan | 2020 | 1,392 | 1,406 |
| Bernard | 2020 | 542 | 1,455 |
| Cougar | 2018 | 8,708 | 8,705 |
| Surprise Creek | 2018 | 1,465 | 3,743 |
| Whitetail | 2015 | 10 | 2,022 |
| Scotchman Peak | 2015 | 2,043 | 2,680 |
| Cape Horn | 2015 | 942 | 1,505 |
| Hughes 32 Complex | 2006 | 1,217 | 4,533 |
| Cabinet Complex (Smith Peak) | 1994 | 2,677 | 2,673 |
| Cabinet Complex (Roberts) | 1994 | 1,059 | 1,476 |
| Kilroy Bay | 1991 | 1,996 | 1,996 |
- Large fires mapped by the Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity program since 1984: 1,000 acres or more in the West, 500 or more in the East. Prescribed burns are excluded. Acres here are the part of each perimeter inside this place.
Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity (USGS and U.S. Forest Service), 1984 to 2026.
Smoke overhead
Smokiest year
2021: 49 days
Heavy smoke on 29 days in 2021, the most of any year.
Last 10 years
27.6 days a year
Medium or heavy smoke, 2016 to 2025.
2025
21 days
Medium or heavy smoke. 45 so far in 2026.
- A smoke day is a date on which a smoke plume traced by NOAA Hazard Mapping System analysts from satellite imagery covered this place's point (the county's population centre or the city centre). Counts here are of medium or heavy smoke. Since 2018 analysts have often drawn light smoke as one area over most of the continent, so light-smoke counts are not comparable from year to year. The plumes show smoke anywhere in the air above, not air quality at the ground, and smoke hidden by cloud is missed.
NOAA Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, 2011 to 2026, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Floods and flood insurance
40 federal flood insurance claims since 1979, with $156,000 paid.
Most claims in one year
1997: 12 claims
$68,000 paid.
Claims by ZIP code
| 83864 | 21 | $87,000 |
| 83860 | 8 | $34,000 |
Flood events since 1996
- Flood27
- Heavy Rain4
- Flash Flood1
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026. NOAA Storm Events through 2026.
River crests
Most severe crest
June 1, 1894
Lake Pend Oreille at Hope, 2,075.88 ft
12.38 feet above the 2,063.5 ft flood stage; major flooding by today’s categories.
Most recent moderate or major crest
June 10, 1950
Lake Pend Oreille at Hope, 2,067.11 ft
Moderate flooding.
| Jun 1, 1894 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,075.88 | +12.38 |
| Jun 9, 1948 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,071.62 | +8.12 |
| Jun 20, 1933 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,068.76 | +5.26 |
| Jun 10, 1950 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,067.11 | +3.61 |
| Jun 5, 1997 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,065.74 | +2.24 |
| Jun 12, 1972 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,065.70 | +2.20 |
| Jun 23, 1974 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,065.47 | +1.97 |
| Jun 17, 2011 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,064.29 | +0.79 |
| May 30, 2018 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,064.20 | +0.70 |
| Sep 5, 2015 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.49 | −1.01 |
| Jul 8, 2014 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.48 | −1.02 |
| Jul 29, 2016 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.48 | −1.02 |
| Jun 19, 2021 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.46 | −1.04 |
| Jul 18, 2020 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.45 | −1.05 |
| Aug 2, 2013 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.45 | −1.05 |
| Jun 16, 2019 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.44 | −1.06 |
| Jul 19, 2017 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.44 | −1.06 |
| Jul 12, 2022 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.40 | −1.10 |
| Jul 11, 2023 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.39 | −1.11 |
| Aug 7, 2012 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.38 | −1.12 |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,062.22 | −1.28 |
River gauges
| Lake Pend Oreille at Hope | 2,063.5 | 2,075.88 ft | 2 |
- Crests are the highest and the recent crests the National Weather Service lists for each river gauge in the county that has a flood stage, not every flood. Flood categories use each gauge's current flood stages; crests from before levees, dams or channel changes may not be comparable. Crests measured on an old datum are left out of the rankings.
NOAA National Water Prediction Service gauge records, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Drought
In severe drought or worse for 147 of 1,581 months since 1895 (9%); the longest spell lasted 27 months.
147
Months in severe drought or worse since 1895
39
Months in extreme drought
9%
Share of all months, severe or worse
Lowest reading
November 1929
−5.45, extreme drought
Longest severe spell
27 months
December 1928 to February 1931.
Latest month
September 2026
−2.73, moderate drought
Last severe month: August 2026.
- The Palmer Drought Severity Index is computed by NOAA each month from the county's average temperature and precipitation, relative to the county's own climate. Zero is normal; -3 or lower is severe drought and -4 or lower extreme drought. It describes the long-term balance of moisture, not water supply or crop losses.
NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, 1895 to September 2026, issued October 6, 2026.
Earthquakes and landslides
7 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles since 1900; the largest was magnitude 4.7 in 1998.
14
Magnitude 2.5+ inside the county since 1973
49
Magnitude 3+ within 50 miles since 1973
7
Magnitude 4+ within 50 miles since 1900
0
Magnitude 5+ within 50 miles since 1900
Largest within 50 miles
December 21, 1998
Magnitude 4.7
Idaho-Montana border region; 39.0 miles away, 7.6 miles deep.
Most recent, magnitude 3 or more
May 16, 2026
Magnitude 3.2
30 km ESE of Nelson, Canada; 39.0 miles away.
Every earthquake of magnitude 4 or more within 50 miles
| Mar 22, 2006 | 4.3 | 44.8 |
| Nov 11, 2001 | 4.0 | 26.0 |
| Dec 21, 1998 | 4.7 | 39.0 |
| Jan 20, 1998 | 4.0 | 46.2 |
| Aug 16, 1994 | 4.1 | 37.1 |
| Aug 1, 1988 | 4.1 | 33.8 |
| Aug 6, 1985 | 4.0 | 35.8 |
- Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or more in the USGS Comprehensive Catalog since 1900. Within 50 miles means the epicentre lies within 50 miles of the county boundary (or inside the county).
- Small earthquakes were under-recorded before the modern seismic networks of the 1970s and are still missed in remote areas, so early decades read low. Magnitudes are as the catalogue reports them and mix scales (moment, local and body-wave).
USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, 1900 to present, retrieved October 30, 2026.
Mapped landslides
49
Landslides mapped, probable or better
9
With a recorded date
3
Source inventories
Mapped by ID GS (39), NASA (9), USGS Conterminous (1).
- Landslides mapped in the USGS compilation of landslide inventories across the United States (version 3.0, 2025), rated probable or better. The compilation joins inventories made by federal and state agencies for different purposes and areas, so the number mapped in a county reflects how closely it has been surveyed as much as how often its slopes fail. An area with few records may simply not have been mapped. Deaths are as recorded in the inventories; a slide listed in two inventories is counted once.
USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0, retrieved October 27, 2026.
Severe weather and other events
750 events in the National Weather Service record, 732 of them since 1996.
19
Hail reports, 1 inch or larger
0
Hail, 2 inches or larger
38
Damaging gusts, 58 mph+
527
Winter weather events since 1996
1
Heat events since 1996
5
Cold events since 1996
Largest hail
July 24, 1983
1.75 inches
Strongest measured or estimated gust
August 12, 1989
75 mph
More event types since 1996
| Lightning | 2 | 0 |
| Dense fog and smoke | 4 | 0 |
| Debris flows | 10 | 0 |
| Avalanches | 2 | 3 |
Costliest events since 1996
- Sep 1, 2025Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$17.8 million
National Weather Service narrative
Sunset Wildfire started on August 13 by unknown human cause. It was located 26 miles North of Coeur d'Alene. It burned 3183 acres of timber. Three structures were lost. It contained on September 2. Cost is estimated.
- Aug 13, 2025Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$17.8 million
National Weather Service narrative
Sunset Wildfire started on August 13 by unknown human cause. It was located 26 miles North of Coeur d'Alene. It burned 3183 acres of timber. Three structures were lost. It continued into September. Cost is estimated.
- Jul 8, 2026Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$15.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Upper Smith Wildfire was discovered around 0729 PST on July 8. It was started by lightning. It is located 7 miles west of Copeland. It burned 4800 acres of timber. It continued through the end of July. Cost is estimated.
- Oct 1, 2022Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$15.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Kootenai River Complex consists of the Eneas Peak, Katka, Russell Mountain, Scotch Creek, and Trout Fires. They have combined to burn 25401 acres.
- Aug 1, 2023Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$9.2 million
National Weather Service narrative
Consalus fire started on June 30 by lightning. It continued until August 30. It has burned 475 acres of timber.
- Jul 1, 2023Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$9.2 million
National Weather Service narrative
Consalus fire started on June 30 by lightning. It continued through the month of July. It has burned 475 acres of timber.
- Jun 30, 2023Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$9.2 million
National Weather Service narrative
Consalus fire started on June 30 by lightning. It continued through the end of the June. It has burned 475 acres of timber.
- Aug 1, 2018Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$5.1 million
National Weather Service narrative
The Cougar Wildfire near Hope Idaho is believed to have been started by lightning on July 28th. The fire grew and eventually burned 7,866 acres of timber. No structures of homes were lost or threatened. The cost of the firefighting resources required to contain the fire was calculated at 5.1 million dollars.
- Aug 5, 2023Wildfire, Northern Panhandle$5.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Buckskin 2 Wildfire was started by unknown causes near the upper end of Twin Creek and Buckskin Saddle. It burned 242 acres of Timber.
- Jun 1, 1997Flood, Northern Panhandle$4.0 million
National Weather Service narrative
Rivers and streams in Idaho's panhandle region began flooding in May from heavy spring snow melt. Flooding along several of these rivers continued well into the month of June, with the Pend Oreille, St. Joe and Kootenai Rivers flooding roads and a few homes. Total damage from the entire May through June flood event was estimated at 4 million dollars, with most of the serious property damage occurring in the month of May when the floods reached their peak.
- Storm Events records before 1996 cover only tornadoes, thunderstorm wind and hail. Damage figures are as reported by the National Weather Service at the time, not adjusted for inflation.
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 1950 to 2026, issued October 26, 2026.
Weather records
From Sandpoint Experiment Station, 5.1 miles from the county’s population centre, with records from 1910.
- All-time high
- 106°FJun 30, 2021
- All-time low
- −37°FDec 30, 1968
- Warmest night
- 72°FJun 29, 2015
- Coldest day
- −5°F3 times, most recently Jan 13, 2024
- Wettest day
- 3.00 inNov 10, 2020
- Snowiest day
- 19.0 inDec 9, 1922
- Hottest year
- 1998mean 48.4°F
- Coldest year
- 1916mean 41.7°F
- Wettest year
- 201247.25 in
- Driest year
- 20226.95 in
- Snowiest season
- 181.5 in1915-16
Median first snow
November 15
Earliest: October 15, 1930
Median last snow
March 23
Latest: May 1, 1923
0 of 102 winters had no measurable snow.
Station Sandpoint Experiment Station (USC00108137), 2,126 ft elevation, 5.1 miles from the population centre. Daily records from 1910 to October 16, 2026; 85.5% of days in the last 30 years are complete. Records at a single station can differ from a city’s official threaded record, which may combine several stations.
NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily.
Federal disaster declarations
18 since 1953. The most recent: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides, June 30, 2026.
| Jun 30, 2026 | Severe Storm | DR-4917-ID |
| Apr 7, 2026 | Straight-Line Winds | DR-4905-ID |
| Aug 15, 2025 | Fire | FM-5607-ID |
| Mar 4, 2021 | Severe Storm | DR-4589-ID |
| Apr 9, 2020 | Biological | DR-4534-ID |
| Mar 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3467-ID |
| May 18, 2017 | Flood | DR-4313-ID |
| Feb 1, 2016 | Severe Storm | DR-4252-ID |
| Dec 23, 2015 | Severe Storm | DR-4246-ID |
| Jul 6, 2015 | Fire | FM-5088-ID |
| May 20, 2011 | Flood | DR-1987-ID |
| Sep 13, 2005 | Hurricane | EM-3244-ID |
| Jun 13, 1997 | Severe Storm | DR-1177-ID |
| Jan 4, 1997 | Severe Storm | DR-1154-ID |
| Feb 11, 1996 | Severe Storm | DR-1102-ID |
| May 22, 1980 | Volcanic Eruption | DR-624-ID |
| Jan 25, 1974 | Flood | DR-415-ID |
| Aug 30, 1967 | Fire | DR-231-ID |
This product uses the Federal Emergency Management Agency's OpenFEMA API, but is not endorsed by FEMA. The Federal Government or FEMA cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from the Agency's website(s).
OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries, retrieved October 30, 2026. Statewide declarations are not listed.
How this compares
Where Bonner County stands among 44 counties in Idaho and 3,143 in the United States.
| Tornadoes since 1950 | 4 | 20 / 44 |
| Tornadoes rated F3/EF3 or stronger | 0 | — |
| Tropical cyclones within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Hurricane-strength passes within 50 mi | 0 | — |
| Wildfire acres since 1984 | 29,518 | 35 / 44 |
| Flood insurance claims | 40 | 6 / 44 |
| Flood insurance paid | $156,000 | 11 / 44 |
| Disaster declarations | 18 | 1 / 44 |
| Flood events since 1996 | 32 | 14 / 44 |
| Hail and wind events since 1996 | 119 | 14 / 44 |
| Winter storm events since 1996 | 527 | 2 / 44 |
| Reported damage since 1996 | $143 million | 2 / 44 |
| River crests at major flood stage | 2 | 11 / 44 |
| High tide flooding days a year, last 10 years | 0.0 | — |
| Months in severe drought since 1895 | 147 | 34 / 44 |
| Medium or heavy smoke days a year, last 10 years | 27.6 | 6 / 44 |
| Earthquakes M4+ within 50 mi since 1900 | 7 | 28 / 44 |
| Earthquakes M2.5+ in the county since 1973 | 14 | 16 / 44 |
Neighbouring counties
| Boundary County | 0 | 0 |
| Kootenai County | 2 | 0 |
| Lincoln County MT | 0 | 0 |
| Pend Oreille County WA | 1 | 0 |
| Sanders County MT | 1 | 0 |
| Shoshone County | 1 | 0 |
| Spokane County WA | 16 | 0 |
Sources and vintage
Every number on this page comes from these public records.
- Tornadoes NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database, through 2025.
- Tropical cyclones NOAA National Hurricane Center HURDAT2 (Atlantic; Northeast and Central Pacific), through 2025.
- Wildfire USGS/USFS Monitoring Trends in Burn Severity, through 2026.
- Storm events NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, through 2026.
- Flood insurance OpenFEMA NFIP Redacted Claims v3, refreshed August 4, 2026.
- Declarations OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries v2, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Weather records NOAA NCEI Global Historical Climatology Network Daily, station USC00108137.
- River crests NOAA National Weather Service, National Water Prediction Service river gauges, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Drought NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county Palmer Drought Severity Index, through September 2026.
- Smoke NOAA NESDIS Hazard Mapping System smoke analysis, retrieved October 30, 2026.
- Landslides USGS Landslide Inventories across the United States, version 3.0 (2025).
- Earthquakes USGS ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), retrieved October 30, 2026.
Joins, thresholds and known limits are set out in the methodology. Found an error? Report it. Page built October 30, 2026.